Aegean
Flights booked before March 9, 2020, to any destination traveling before April 30, 2020, can be rebooked for travel until October 20, 2020. Additionally, flights booked after March 9, 2020, for any travel date up to October 20, 2020, can be rebooked for travel up until October 20, 2020.
Aer Lingus
Flights booked prior to March 6, 2020 for travel before May 31, may be rebooked without fees, but changes must be made by March 25. Furthermore, flights booked on March 6 and later are eligible for re-booking without restriction. Fare difference will apply.
Aeroflot
Aeroflot has issued waivers for flights to China, South Korea, Iran, Israel, Italy, Germany, France, and Spain. Passengers holding tickets for travel on or before March 20, 2020, may rebook or request a refund by April 30, 2020, at no additional cost. Passengers with tickets to travel on or after March 21, 2020, may rebook or request a refund during the entire validity period of the ticket.
Aerolineas Argentinas
Passengers flying to and from Europe, Asia, and the U.S. until August 31, 2020, may change their flights one time to travel until November 30, 2020. Fare difference will apply. Passengers who purchase tickets to and from Europe and the United States from March 10 to March 31, 2020 can change their flight once without penalty. Fare difference will apply.
AeroMexico
AeroMexico is offering flexibility for all ticket purchases between March 9 and 31, 2020. These tickets can have departure date changes and route changes without paying a change fee. Fare difference applies. Tickets can be reissued until May 31, 2020, and the rescheduled trip must begin on or before May 31, 2020. Additionally, tickets purchased before March 9, 2020, can be rebooked or redeemed for credit that is valid for one year. Fare differences apply and travel must be completed by October 31, 2020. AeroMexico is also offering additional flexibility for specific tickets to and from Italy, Europe, Asia, and Mexico.
Air Canada
Air Canada is offering a free one-time change for any new tickets booked between March 4, 2020, and March 31, 2020. All travel must be completed by December 31, 2020. Fare difference applies. Air Canada is also providing flexibility for existing bookings purchased before March 4, 2020, with travel on or before April 30, 2020. A free one-time change will apply. All travel must be completed by December 31, 2020. Fare difference applies.
Air Canada also extended the suspension of its flights to Beijing and Shanghai until March 27 and suspended its Toronto to Hong Kong flights from March 1 to March 27, but its Vancouver to Hong Kong route remains active.
Air China
Air China has perhaps the most generous refund policy of any carrier because China has seen so many effects from the COVID-19 pandemic. All flights purchased before January 28, 2020, are eligible for a refund. That said, reports on social media indicate that Air China’s customer service department is overwhelmed with requests and that refunds are slow in coming.
Air China said it would cancel flights to Athens, Greece from Feb. 17 to March 18 and “adjust” flights between China and the United States. On Feb. 28, it resumed flying to Frankfurt from Chengdu following a 21-day suspension.
Air Europa
Customers with new reservations booked from March 4 to 31, 2020 are eligible for rebooking for travel up to 12 months after the original booking date. Fare difference will apply. Customers with tickets to or from the USA dated between March 14 and April 13, 2020, may rebook until June 15, 2020, without a fare difference. You could also receive a voucher good for travel until December 31, 2020. Fare difference will apply, but Air Europa will offer you a 15 percent discount on your new ticket. Air Europa has specific directives for passengers from Europe to South America and Israel.
Air France
Air France and KLM have instituted a flexible booking policy for all tickets issued up to March 31, 2020. Tickets may be rebooked for a later date up until May 31, 2020, or passengers have the option to receive a non-refundable voucher good for 12 months. The voucher can be used interchangeably on Air France, KLM, Delta or Virgin Atlantic.
On February 6, announced the suspension of flights to and from mainland China for much of March.
Air India
Air India suspended flights to Shanghai, Hong Kong until June 30, 2020.
Air New Zealand
All change fees for new tickets issued from March 5 to March 31, 2020, are waived (service fees and fare difference will apply when rebooking). Existing long-haul bookings up to and including March 4, 2020, with travel prior to July 1, 2020, will have fee changes waived once per booking or customers can hold their ticket in credit for a rebooking within 12 months of the original date of issue.
Air New Zealand is resuming its Shanghai route starting March 30 and its Hong Kong services throughout April and May, both with reduced capacity, pending New Zealand’s government will lift a travel restriction it has imposed on all foreign nationals arriving from or transiting through mainland China until February 24.
They reduced capacity on Shanghai route throughout April and Hong Kong route throughout April and May.
Air Seoul
Air Seoul suspended China flights from Jan. 28 until further notice.
Air Tahiti Nui
Air Tahiti Nui is requiring travelers who have visited select countries within 30 days prior to their trip to French Polynesia to provide a medical certificate no older than five days prior to travel certifying a condition of good health. Individuals who have not visited the select countries must still fill out a self-certified medical form and provide it at flight check-in. Air Tahiti Nui has a flight that travels from Papeete to Paris via Los Angeles. With the European travel restrictions coming into effect there’s a strong possibility this route will be modified or canceled outright. Customers with questions regarding reservation changes are encouraged to call the airline directly.
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines is allowing no-fee changes and cancellations to the following:
Tickets purchased on or before February 26, 2020, for travel through April 30, 2020
New tickets purchased between February 27, 2020, and March 31, 2020. Non-refundable first class, main cabin and award tickets may be changed for no fee, with new travel completed by February 28, 2021, or canceled with travel funds placed into your Alaska Account or a credit card certificate via email. Fare difference applies. Saver fare tickets can only be canceled with funds deposited into your Alaska Airlines account.
Alitalia
Customers who have booked tickets by April 3, 2020, for any flight departing Feb 25 to May 31, 2020, may rebook until December 31, 2020, or receive a voucher good for one year from the original ticket issue date.
American Airlines
American Airlines is allowing customers who bought tickets before March 1, 2020, and scheduled to travel until April 30 to rebook without a change fee. Tickets need to be changed and travel must start before December 31, 2020. You’ll have to pay for any fare difference. Tickets booked between March 1 and 31, 2020 for any date can also be changed fee-free. American is also allowing changes and refunds for tickets to Europe, including the United Kingdom: tickets purchased on March 11 or earlier for travel through May 31, 2020. Italy or South Korea purchased on or before February 24, 2020; Hong Kong purchased on or before January 28, 2020; and China bought on or before January 24, 2020.
On February 11, American Airlines announced an extended suspension of China and Hong Kong flights from Dallas and Los Angeles through April 24. American has suspended service to Milan from New York and Miami until late April as well. The airline — citing a reduction in demand — also suspended flights between Dallas and Seoul, South Korea, from March 4-April 24.
ANA Holdings
Flights to and from Japan issued before February 28, 2020, for travel until April 5, 2020, are eligible for rebooking or refund. Flights to and from China and Hong Kong issued before February 26, 2020, for travel until April 30 are eligible for rebooking or refund.
Flights to and from India and South Korea issued before March 6, 2020, for travel until April 30, 2020, are eligible for rebooking or refund.
ANA Holdings suspended routes including Shanghai and Hong Kong from Feb. 10 until further notice.
Austrian Airlines
The Lufthansa group of airlines has a sweeping policy that is quite clear. All tickets booked before March 5, 2020, with travel before April 30, 2020, can re-booked as late as December 31, 2020, without a change fee. Flights booked between March 6 and 31, 2020 are also eligible for re-booking until December 31. Fare differences will apply.
Austrian Airlines suspended flights to Beijing & Shanghai until the end of the winter flight schedule, March 28.
Avianca
Avianca is offering the option to change itineraries purchased between March 4 and 31, 2020 with cash or miles without penalty on routes to and from the United States, Canada, and Europe or between March 11 and 31, 2020 on routes to and from other international routes operated by Avianca. The new trip must be completed by December 31, 2020, and can only be changed once without a fee. At least 15 days of notice to the original flight date must be given. Fare difference will apply. For flights booked prior to March 10 for international travel scheduled from March 10 to April 15, 2020, Aviana is offering the option to rebook for travel for one year from the issue date or December 31, 2020, whichever comes first. Fare difference will apply.
British Airways
If you’re booked to travel between mainland Europe and the USA until April 11, 2020, you have the option to rebook to another British Airways flight for later travel until August 1, 2020, or receive a voucher for future travel. Tickets purchased between March 3 and March 31, 2020, can be either rebooked within 12 months of departure or refunded via flight voucher. The flight voucher is good for 12 months from the original date of departure.
They’ve also suspended flights to China beginning January 29 through April 17. On March 2, British Airways announced it was canceling 12 flights from London’s Heathrow to New York’s JFK airport, among other routes, due to low demand. British Airways also said it would cancel some flights to and from Italy, Singapore, and South Korea.
Cathay Pacific Airways
All flights that were booked before February 4, 2020, for travel until May 31, 2020, are eligible for free rebooking for travel until Dec 10, 2020. The ticket needs to leave from, arrive into or transit Hong Kong, but this applies to almost all Cathay Pacific flights. Flights booked for travel until April 30, 2020 to and from the following are eligible for cash refund provided they were booked on or before the following dates: Wuhan, China: January 21, 2020, Mainland China: February 3, 2020, Philippines: February 4, 2020, Taiwan: February 8, 2020, India: February 12, 2020, Israel: February, 19, 2020, South Korea: February 24, 2020, Thailand and Japan: March 6, 2020.
They also plan to cut a third of its capacity over the next two months, including 90% of flights to mainland China. They’ve encouraged its 27,000 employees to take three weeks of unpaid leave in a bid to preserve cash.
China Airlines Ltd
China Airlines has been banned from flying to Italy after the Italian government included Taiwan as part of China’s virus area.
China Eastern Airlines
China Eastern is allowing full refunds for all flights to and from the US between January 24, 2020, and June 30, 2020.
China Southern Airlines
China Southern Airlines is allowing full refunds with the following conditions:
Flights that visit or transit Wuhan, China for travel until March 29, 2020
Flights that visit or transit restricted countries for travel until June 10, 2020
All tickets purchased before January 28, 2020, for travel until March 29, 2020
Medical personnel, people with a fever or respiratory illness or people who have had close contact with a COVID-19 patient with tickets for travel until March 29, 2020
Copa
Copa is currently offering flexibility for tickets purchased until March 31, 2020, for travel on or before June 15, 2020. You can change your flight dates, use your ticket toward a future trip, or receive a refund of your ticket if permitted by the fare terms. Fare difference applies. Changes must be completed by June 15, 2020, and the new itinerary must start before December 31, 2020.
Delta Airlines
elta led the major US Airlines with flexible cancellation policies for customers affected by travel limitations due to coronavirus. All tickets purchased on or before March 9, 2020 for travel until April 30, 2020 can be changed without a service fee. Tickets must be re-issued and travel must begin by Dec 31, 2020.
In addition, restricted routes have expanded waivers:
Beijing, Incheon, or Shanghai and your ticket was purchased before March 9, 2020. Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland or the United Kingdom and your ticket was purchased before March 11, 2020.
Argentina or El Salvador and your ticket were purchased before March 13, 2020. Tickets purchased between March 1 and 31 for travel until February 25, 2021 are also eligible for fee-free changes. Travelers booked to COVID-19 affected destinations, including those in Italy, China and South Korea, before May 31st, 2020 can also be re-booked with waived change fees.
If you prefer, you can cancel your flight booked on or before March 9, 2020, and your funds will be available for one year from your original ticket’s issue date. Note that this does not mean that your money will be refunded, or even that you will be able to purchase a new ticket entirely with the funds from your ticket. Fare differences will apply, so if your new flight is more expensive you are on the hook for the difference.
On February 11, Delta announced an extended suspension of China flights through April 30.
Delta has suspended all service from JFK to and from Milan until May 1 and May 2, respectively. It will begin summer seasonal flights between JFK and Venice, Italy, on May 1 instead of April 1. In Asia, all flights to Beijing and Shanghai have been suspended until April 30. And flights between the U.S. and South Korea, as well as to Japanese destinations, have been reduced.
easyJet
easyJet customers who wish to change their travel plans can now move their flights to alternative dates and/or an alternative destination without a change fee. If the new fare is higher customers would only be required to pay the fare difference. This waiver applies to both existing and new bookings until further notice.
On Feb. 28 it would cancel flights, particularly in and out of Italy, and cut costs across its business.
Egyptair
Tickets purchased between March 7 and 31 are eligible for a one-time rebooking to a new travel date or destination, regardless of new travel dates.
At this time EGYPTAIR does not have a published policy for tickets issued prior to March 7, 2020. We will update as the situation changes.
Flights to China suspended until further notice. On February 20, indicated some flights would resume to and from China soon.
El Al Isreal Airlines
El Al Isreal Airlines extended the suspension of flights to Hong Kong & Beijing until May 2. They also suspended flights to Bangkok from March 2-27 and suspended flights to Italy, including Milan and Rome from Feb. 28 to March 14. Additionally, the airline will also delay launching a new route to Tokyo from March until April 4.
Emirates
Customers who made bookings on or before March 31, 2020, will be eligible for fee waivers on changes to their itineraries.
Refunds and rebooking policy for customers unable to travel due to travel restrictions apply to:
Scheduled to travel until May 31
Rebookings permitted until June 30
Reroute permitted until June 30 to select destinations only. Applicable fare difference, if any, applies.
Travel vouchers for ticketed value.
Refund of unutilized tickets.
Refunds and rebooking policy for customers impacted due to flight cancellations (not including Iran):
Scheduled to travel until May 31
Rebookings permitted until June 30
Reroute permitted until June 30 to select destinations only. Applicable fare difference,if any, would apply.
Refund of unutilized tickets.
Ethiopian Airlines
Tickets for travel up to June 30, 2020 or earlier are eligible for free rebooking or refund. Fare difference will apply.
Etihad Airways
Etihad rebooking and cancellation policy depends on location and if there are any travel restrictions at the departure location or destination are in place.
Changing flights to/from UAE:
Tickets issued in the UAE on or before March 5 and passengers who have been advised not to travel from the UAE until further notice can rebook for departures up to May 20 without standard change fees. Only one change is permitted; any further changes will attract standard fees. Rerouting beyond original destination will require payment of difference in fares. Teachers employed in UAE who cancel their flights will be entitled to a fare refund without any standard cancellation fees if they present a letter of employment from their education institution. Refunds for all other ticket holders will be based on applicable fare rules.
For customers who have flight cancellations or restrictions imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19:
Those due to fly before June 30 who have had flights canceled or have been advised not to travel by their local authorities, or who cannot complete their travel due to restrictions by departure or destination locations, can be rebooked for departures up to June 30 without standard change fees. Only one change is permitted; any further changes will attract standard fees. Passengers can request a cancellation if flights have been canceled, are prohibited to travel by local authorities or are denied entry into destination due to travel restrictions. In this case, the refund is without penalty on the unused portion of any tickets. Refunds for all other ticket holders will be based on applicable fare rules.
They suspended flights to Hong Kong until March 28, the airline said on Feb. 26, citing a drop in demand. The UAE suspended all flights to mainland China, except Beijing, on Feb. 5.
Finnair
Flights booked with Finnair until April 30, 2020, may be rebooked without charge up until November 30, 2020. Fare difference will apply. In addition, Finnair has canceled many flights. In the case of cancellation, your ticket price will be refunded.
Finnair is canceling all flights to mainland China until April 30. Flights to Milan are canceled between March 9 and April 7 Announced March 4, it is reducing the frequency of its flights to several destinations in Asia and Europe.
Frontier Airlines
Frontier makes the process more onerous than other airlines but has instituted some policies to make tickets more flexible in this challenging environment. To be frank, Frontier has the least customer-friendly policies of any US Airline. Tickets may only be modified by phone and only may be modified or refunded for flight credit one time. Fare differences will apply. Frontier’s flight credits are only valid for 90 days from the cancellation date. For changed flights, travel must be completed by November 9, 2020. Flights booked before March 10, 2020, for travel before April 30, 2020 may be changed. Flights booked March 10-31, 2020 for travel through November 9 may be changed. Frontier has an existing policy that tickets can changed more than 60 days before departure without a rebooking fee.
Hainan Airlines
Hainan Airlines is offering full refunds of tickets purchased before January 24, 2020, for flights after January 1, 2020.
They also suspended flights between Budapest, Hungary and Chongqing Feb. 7-March 27.
Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines is offering a flexible ticketing policy. Guests who book any flights between March 1 and March 31, 2020, can change travel to future dates without incurring fees. The waiver allows a one-time change per ticket and fare difference applies.
Travelers with bookings made prior to March 9, 2020, with travel between March 1, 2020 and April 30, 2020 can make flight changes with new travel commencing no later than December 31, 2020. This waiver allows a one-time change per ticket and fare difference applies.
Hawaiian Airlines has additional waivers for flights to Japan, South Korea and China.
Japan: Flights booked for new travel on or before April 23, 2020, will have no change fee and no fare difference. Flights booked for new travel on or after April 23, 2020, will have no change fee but will be charged fare difference. Tickets must have been issued by March 6, 2020, and must be rebooked by April 12, 2020, to qualify.
South Korea: Flights rebooked for new travel on or before October 31, 2020, will have no change fee and no fare difference. Flights booked for new travel on or after October 31, 2020, will have no change fee but will be charged fare difference. Tickets for scheduled travel between February 24, 2020, to May 1, 2020. New travel must be booked by October 31, 2020.
China: Flights rebooked for new travel on or before May 31, 2020, will have no change fee and no fare difference. Flights booked for new travel on or after May 31, 2020, will have no change fees but will be charged fare difference. Tickets must have been issued prior to January 27, 2020, with affected flights scheduled between January 27, 2020, and March 31, 2020. New travel must be rebooked by March 31, 2020.
Iberia Airlines
If you have a ticket issued until March 11th to fly between March 1st and April 30th, 2020, you have the ability to change the dates until November 30th (with blackout dates below) or request a voucher for the amount of the ticket valid until December 31, 2020. Exceptions: Not valid for flights from April 3 to 13; from April 30 to May 2; from June 16 to August 15; and from October 9 to 12.
They also extended the suspension of flights from Madrid to Shanghai, its only route, from February 29 through the end of April.
Japan Airlines
All tickets to, from and through Japan issued on or before March 6, 2020, for travel until April 5, 2020, are eligible for rebooking or refund.
JetBlue
JetBlue is waiving cancellation and change fees for all flights based on the purchase date. Travel dates of March 10 to April 30, 2020, regardless of the ticket purchase date. Tickets for travel before June 1, 2020, may be exchanged if they were purchased after February 27, 2020. For new bookings between March 6 and 31, 2020 for flights before September 8, 2020, change and cancellation fees are also waived. New flights must be completed by October 24, 2020. Refunds are issued as JetBlue credit, valid for one year from the issue date. This is the longest window of any US airline, as most others’ credits are valid for one year from ticket purchase date.
Kenya Airways
Kenya Airlines suspended flights to China from January 21 until further notice.
KLM
Air France and KLM have instituted a flexible booking policy for all tickets issued up to March 31, 2020. Tickets may be rebooked for a later date up until May 31, 2020, or passengers have the option to receive a non-refundable voucher good for 12 months. The voucher can be used interchangeably on Air France, KLM, Delta or Virgin Atlantic.
KLM said on March. 2 it would extend its ban on flights to Chengdu, Hangzhou and Xiamen in China to at least May 3 because of the coronavirus outbreak. KLM expects to resume flights to Beijing and Shanghai on March 29.
Korean Air
All tickets to and from the Americas issued before March 9, 2020 for travel until June 30, 2020 can be rebooked without penalty for travel until December 31, 2020. Fare differences will be waived if booking is in the same fare class. Passengers who are ill, who are in the military or who are medical personnel are eligible for flight refund for travel until June 30, 2020.
LATAM
LATAM has a variety of policies depending on when your ticket was purchased and where you are traveling.
All international tickets issued between March 6 and 22 allow changes without penalty providing your journey has not started yet, the ticket is reissued at least 14 days before the start of travel and the new trip commences no later than December 31, 2020. All fare differences will be charged.
Passengers with tickets issued until March 5, 2020, and original flight dates between March 6 and April 30, 2020, to the following destinations are eligible to fly today until December 31, 2020, without paying a change fee. Tickets are still subject to fare difference.
Passengers with tickets to or from Israel issued until March 5, 2020, with original flight dates between March 6 and April 30, 2020, can fly from today until December 31, 2020, without paying a change fee. Tickets are subject to fare difference. LATAM has additional policies for tickets issued in China and South Korea.
They’re canceling its direct flight between Sao Paulo and Milan from March 2 until April 16.
LOT Polish Airlines
Flights booked on March 6 or later for travel between March 12 and April 24, 2020, are eligible for rebooking for travel until December 31, 2020. Fare difference will apply.
They extended flight suspensions to China until March 28.
Lufthansa Group
The Lufthansa group of airlines has a sweeping policy that is quite clear. All tickets booked before March 5, 2020, with travel before April 30, 2020, can re-booked as late as December 31, 2020, without a change fee. Flights booked between March 6 and 31, 2020 are also eligible for re-booking until December 31. Fare differences will apply.
They extended China flight cancellations until April 24. On March 5, Lufthansa announced they will ground 150 aircraft due to the coronavirus. Lufthansa is to cut number of short- and medium-haul flights in response to the accelerated spread of the coronavirus. They will also suspend flights to Tehran until April 30.
Malaysia Airlines
Malaysia Airlines is offering a one-time fee-free rebooking for flights booked before March 31 for travel until December 31, 2020. Booking must be changed by May 31, 2020, with the new date of travel being December 31, 2020, or earlier. Selected destinations in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe are also eligible for rebooking and/or refund.
Norwegian Air
Norwegian Airlines is waiving change fees for flights to Italy booked before March 6 for travel until March 19, 2020. Flight dates may be changed to travel up until May 18, 2020. At this point there are no other policies in place, however, Norwegian expects to cancel 3,000 flights to and from the USA between Mid-March and Mid-June. In the case of cancellation, you are eligible for a full refund. All international flights booked from March 6 to March 22 are eligible for one free rebooking with travel that must be completed by August 31, 2020.
Philippine Airways
Philippine Airways cut the number of flights between Manila and China by over half.
Qantas Airways
One-time fee-free change for new international flight bookings made between March 10 and March 31, for travel before June 30 (subject to availability). If the value of a rebooked flight is greater than that of the original booking, the customer will be responsible for covering the fare difference. Changes must be made at least three days before travel and the new journey must take place on or before June 30, 2020. International bookings ticketed before March 10 are still subject to rebooking fees at this time. This position seems untenable and we will monitor for changes.
They also suspended direct flights to China, including Beijing & Shanghai through at least March 29 and will reduce general capacity to Asia by 15% until at least the end of May.
Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways says affected passengers can re-book their tickets to alternative dates or destinations, or request a full refund without charge. Eligible tickets are outlined below.
China: Ticket issued on or before March 7, 2020; Travel dates from February 3 to April 30, 2020; Rebooking for new travel dates permitted up to May 31, 2020; Hong Kong: Ticket issued on or before March 7, 2020; Travel dates from February 3 to April 30, 2020; Rebooking for new travel dates permitted up to May 31, 2020
Iran: Except for Tehran; Ticket issued on or before March 7, 2020; Travel dates from February 26 to April 30, 2020; Rebooking for new travel dates permitted up to May 31, 2020
South Korea (not applicable to passengers transiting via Doha): Ticket issued on or before February 26, 2020; Travel dates from February 26 to March 31, 2020; Rebooking for new travel dates permitted up to May 15, 2020
Egypt: Ticket issued on or before February 29, 2020; Travel dates from February 26 to March 31, 2020; Rebooking for new travel dates must be within 30 days from the original date of travel
Italy: Ticket issued on or before March 7, 2020; Travel dates from March 1 to April 30, 2020; Rebooking for new travel dates permitted up to May 31, 2020; For tickets outside of the following dates or countries not listed above, tickets may be rebooked for travel until June 30, 2020, or exchanged for a voucher valid for one year from issue date.
They also suspended flights to China from February 1 until further notice.
Ryanair
From March 13 to March 31, 2020, Ryanair will waive the flight change fee for customers who wish to change their travel plans due to the current COVID-19 outbreak. This policy applies to all existing and new bookings.
Additionally, they Will cut capacity in and out of Italy, its largest market, by 25% for three weeks due to a significant drop off in bookings since a coronavirus outbreak, announced March 2.
SAS
Tickets booked before March 5, 2020, for travel until April 30, 2020, to, from and within Europe (except within Scandinavia) are eligible for rebooking for a departure date before November 30, 2020.
Tickets booked between March 6 and 19, 2020 for travel until November 30, 2020, may be changed for a different flight date until November 30, 2020, without a fee. Fare differences apply and destination and return must be the same.
They also extended their suspension of flights to Shanghai and Beijing until March 29 and added on March 3, it would cut flights to Hong Kong from March 5. On March 3, canceled its flights to northern Italy and withdrew financial guidance for its current financial year after the spread of the coronavirus hit demand. SAS also said it would cut its short-haul capacity over March and April.
Scoot
Scoot suspended flights to China from February 8 until further notice.
Singapore Airlines
Customers who have tickets to fly before April 30, 2020, to the following destinations may rebook for travel to commence no later than August 31, 2020:
China, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Japan with tickets booked before March 4, 2020
India with tickets booked before March 11, 2020
Italy with tickets booked before March 10, 2020
Tickets booked between March 6 and 31, 2020 are eligible for free re-booking with travel through March 31, 2021. Fare differences will apply.
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines doesn’t have to make special accommodations for COVID-19 because it already offers the most generous change and cancellation policies in the airline industry. As long as you change your ticket ten minutes before flight time, you can get your flight re-booked or refunded into travel credit without penalty. You’ll just have to pay any fare difference that applies when you re-book your flight. Note that travel funds are good for one year and must be used by the person whose name is listed on the ticket.
Spirit Airlines
Unlike the other airlines, Spirit has not instituted a date-specific change policy. Instead, they are extending an offer of a one-time fee-free change or cancellation. Fare difference will apply. If you choose to cancel, you will receive flight credit that is valid for six months. Note that this means you have six months to book your flight, so effectively you will have 9-12 months to use it based on how far in advance Spirit has posted its schedule. Spirit is not allowing fee-free changes online, but you can use their customer service via text option, which in my experience is quite responsive.
SWISS
The Lufthansa group of airlines has a sweeping policy that is quite clear. All tickets booked before March 5, 2020, with travel before April 30, 2020, can re-booked as late as December 31, 2020, without a change fee. Flights booked between March 6 and 31, 2020 are also eligible for re-booking until December 31. Fare differences will apply.
TAP Portugal
Tickets booked between March 8 and 31, 2020 are eligible for rebooking without restriction through the end of the schedule. Changes must be made 21 days prior to departure and fare difference will apply. Tickets to and from the United States, Italy and Israel purchased before March 8, 2020, for travel until May 31, 2020, may be rebooked for travel up until December 31, 2020. Fare difference will apply.
Thai Airways
At this time Thai is only extending waivers to cities in Asia and Europe. If you are flying Thai to a destination other than Thailand, you may be eligible for rebooking.
Turkish Airlines
Turkish has a fee-free change policy for all international bookings. If you purchased your ticket before March 5, 2020, you can re-book for a travel date until December 31, 2020, provided you make the request before March 16, 2020. Tickets purchased between March 6 and March 24, 2020, are eligible for rebooking until December 31, 2020, as long as you re-book within five days of the new flight.
United Airlines
Tickets purchased from March 3 to 31, 2020 can be changed or canceled without fees for dates through the end of the schedule. All tickets purchased prior to March 3, 2020 for travel until April 30, 2020, can be re-booked until December 31, 2020, or a year from the original ticket issue date (whichever is earlier).
Tickets booked to China and Hong Kong with a travel date before June 30, 2020 are eligible for fee-free rebooking or a cash refund, even on non-refundable fares. Tickets to Italy and South Korea before June 30 are eligible for re-booking without fees, but not for cash refunds. A fare difference will apply for more expensive tickets. If the new ticket is cheaper than the one you purchased, the difference will not be refunded. In that case, you are better off canceling the ticket and rebooking at a cheaper price. Canceled tickets retain their original value for travel on United 12 months for following their original issue date. You could then use the remainder towards a new ticket.
United has also grounded flights bound for China and Hong Kong until April 30, recently extending that suspension by about a week. Flights to Japan from Los Angeles and Houston are canceled from March 8 to April 24, and from Chicago to Japan’s Narita International Airport from March 8-27. Flights from Narita, Newark, New Jersey, San Francisco and Kansai International Airport in Osaka, Japan, have been reduced to five times weekly for the month of April.
On March 5, United said it will cut its international flights scheduled for April by 20% and domestic flights in the U.S. and Canada by 10%. United executives reportedly expect the reduced service will carry into May. Trans-Pacific flights will make up about half of the planned 20% in cuts for April, with service to Europe and Latin America also affected.
Vietnam Airlines
Vietnam Airlines suspended flights to mainland China as well as Hong Kong and Macau through April 30, in line with its aviation authority’s directive. They also suspended flights to South Korea from March 5.
Virgin Atlantic
Flights booked before March 4, 2020 for travel before May 31, 2020 may be rebooked for travel until December 31, 2020. Fare differences apply. Flights booked on or after March 4, 2020 may be rebooked for travel until December 31, 2020. Fare differences apply.
Virgin Australia
Virgin Australia will withdraw from the Sydney-Hong Kong route from March 2 because it was “no longer a viable commercial route” due to growing concerns over the virus and civil unrest in Hong Kong.
West Jet
WestJet is offering flexibility for both existing reservations and new reservations. Flights booked before March 3, 2020 for travel in March or April 2020 are eligible for a one-time fee-free change. The change or cancellation must be made at least 24 hours before departure. The value of canceled flights will be put in your travel bank. Fare differences apply to flight changes. For new bookings, WestJet is allowing a one-time fee-free change for all new flight bookings made between March 3, 2020 and March 31, 2020. The change must be made at least 24 hours before flight departure.
